Computer systems today possess unprecedented levels of processing power, memory, volume storage, and other resources, not only in locally implemented hardware, but also in remotely implemented systems, e.g., in cloud hosted systems. Interconnected networks of physical and virtual computer systems are deployed in almost every conceivable scenario worldwide and execute applications that carry out an immense variety tasks ranging from the mundane to the mission critical. Improvements in data architectures will enhance the ability of these applications to access and operate on the data they need to perform their functions.